


With Friends Like These...

by stargatefan_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Gen, Smarm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-07 17:25:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10365756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatefan_archivist/pseuds/stargatefan_archivist
Summary: Summary: Fate never seems to cut Jackson a break, and this story is noexception.  O’Neill has managed to get on the bad side of two newrecruits to the SGC, but he’s not around when they’re in the mood forrevenge!





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

The Colonel's anger could be heard all over the SGC. He'd had enough of the smart aleck, unprofessional, slip shod, unmilitary, and disrespectful - the litany continued - attitude of the two latest recruits brought into the SGC for sentry duty. Everyone gave him wide berth as he went in search of the two. It really didn't help that O'Neill had gone without sleep for over 36 hours, and that the young guys picked a very bad time to show him an "attitude." Truth was that no one got along well with Winch and Hyde, and General Hammond had already begun to look into relocating them. Colonel O'Neill was not one to wait, and proceeded on this night to inform them that they'd be out on their keysters the next morning... "In fact," O'Neill shouted back over his shoulder, "I wouldn't even bother reporting in for duty if I were you!" 

As Jack swept down the corridor toward the main security office, he plowed straight into a certain scholar, whose nose was firmly pressed into a computer printout. 

"Whoa!" Jackson exclaimed. 

"Watch it! Oh! Sorry... I was ... Daniel, what are you still doing here?" Jack softened his tone as he realized just whom he'd run into. 

"I'll be finishing soon. What's got you in such an uproar?" Daniel asked, although he'd heard the rumors... everyone was talking. 

"Those jerks! Not only do they give the SGC a bad name; they're damned security risks! The idiots had a bottle of rum and were actually going to sit around in quarters drinking... then go on duty!" Jack was still shaking with anger. 

"OK, calm down. Why don't you just head on home, get some rest, and I'll stop by security and let them know. These guys can pack their stuff and get a full escort out of here, and you can avoid having a stroke!" Daniel offered. 

Jack looked doubtful, but he really didn't want to confront them again tonight, and the thought of getting home a bit sooner seemed very inviting. "Aren't you going home?" 

"Well, I don't know. I have a little more work to do on the computer and if I get tired, I'll just sack out here. Since when do you worry about me? A pot of coffee, and a bunk with a pillow and I'm set for the night!" Daniel smiled. "Get home, calm down, and maybe in the morning you'll even reconsider..." The 'you've got to be kidding' look in Jack's eyes kept Daniel from finishing the sentence. "Go on now... I'll let security know." 

"But..." 

"Good night, Jack!" Daniel ended the debate as he sauntered off down the hallway. Intending to go straight to security, he was temporarily distracted by the soft beep of his computer... indicating it had finished with the latest analysis. After spending what seemed like minutes fine tuning it, Daniel looked up at the clock and realized with a start that several hours had passed. He started off down the darkened hallways to carry Jack's message to the MPs. 

That was almost two days ago, and no one had seen or heard from Doctor Daniel Jackson since that ill-fated night. 

******************** 

"Looky who we got here?" a slurred voice spoke from the darkness. 

"It's Colonel Jerk... ha! I mean Colonel Jack's favorite pal... Doctor J! Hey, you don't mind if we call you Doctor J do you?" They came alongside of Daniel, walking closely - matching his steps. 

"Look, guys, I don't want any trouble..." Daniel tried to step back and walk away but they would have nothing of the kind. 

"I bet you don't.... I just bet you don't. Hyde, whadda ya say we have some fun with good ole Doctor J? Colonel's gonna bust us anyway, maybe we can make him hurt a little. Colonel thinks we're not fit for the military... what about this pansy?" Winch grabbed Daniel by the arm now, steering him toward the elevator. 

Daniel pulled sharply away, and spoke to them sternly; "You two are in enough trouble already! You're obviously drunk... now before you go and do something really stupid, you'd better come with me to security!" 

"Listen to him!" Hyde began laughing hysterically. "He's givin orders just like he was our CO! You seem to be missin the point here, Dr. J, you are comin with us!" 

"Oh, I don't think so," Daniel shot back at them, still not seeing the danger he was in. Their anger at O'Neill was intense, and now Daniel seemed to be the only means for venting it. 

Hyde stopped laughing, his look became distant, chillingly cold, "Oh, you're gonna come with us alright. You're gonna do everything we say... know why?" 

Daniel was thinking now, maybe the elevator wasn't such a bad idea... there'd be security cameras there... he could signal someone. "Why?" he asked simply, walking slowly with them. 

Hyde smiled again, and leaned close to Daniel, his breath reeking of rum, "Cuz of this!" He pulled a small transmitter out of his pocket. "We put together a little homemade, ah... noisy surprise ... for Colonel Jerk! Slipped it into his bag and it seems he's grabbed it and headed home!" 

"Wait a minute!" Winch interrupted him, "WE didn't do that, you..." 

Hyde glared at the man, forcing him into silence. "As I was saying, all I have to do is activate the remote code and... BOOM!!" Daniel jumped about a foot off the ground at the thought, and Hyde was laughing uncontrollably once again, staggering toward the elevator. 

Daniel looked up at the security camera as they entered the elevator. He was beginning to sweat. It didn't seem believable, but he wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize Jack. Hyde had his hand wrapped around the remote and had it stuffed into his pocket. There seemed to be no alternative but to go with them, at least for now. 

The elevator stopped on level 9, storage level... Daniel thought, and at the same instant he realized no one would be likely to have a reason to be on that level at this time of the night. He was on his own. "OK, guys, look... I know you're upset with Colonel O'Neill. In fact, it was me that sent him home... to cool off... get some sleep. Tomorrow..." 

Daniel's words were cut off by a sudden grip of a strong hand at his throat. He felt himself being shoved against the corridor wall, and a sharp pain as his head struck metal. "You ... talk too much!" It was Winch who had hold of him now. "You don't talk unless spoken to... get it! You call us 'Sirs' and you don't mention Colonel Jerk again... you got that Doctor J?" 

Unable to speak, barely able to breathe, Daniel nodded yes. The grip loosened and Daniel began to rub his neck, coughing slightly. Hyde was calling to them from down the hallway, "Ben! Over here... I found the bag you stashed away... Good job! Some money, a few MREs, couple a guns... hey - you even remembered my favorite drink!" 

"Sure, anything for you, Jim! I was just instructing our new recruit on the proper way to talk to his superiors! He he he. He learns real quick!" Winch still had hold of Daniel's arm and began pulling him into one of the storage rooms. 

Hyde had already opened the bottle of scotch. "You drink Doctor J?.... Hey! I'm askin you a question here! You drink?" 

Daniel shook his head no and nervously eyed the two men. Maybe they'd drink themselves unconscious he secretly hoped. 

"Weeell, all that's about ta change! First lesson, how to get totally ripped! Then we start basic military training... kinda like boot camp! We're gonna make a real man outta you!" Hyde proudly proclaimed as he offered the bottle to Daniel. 

Winch was growing impatient, "He ain't gonna drink it! While we mess around here, someone's gonna find us! Gimme the damn bottle!" He yanked away the bottle and instructed Daniel to sit on the floor. "Now!" he said, tipping the bottle up to Daniel's lips, "Enjoy!" 

Daniel let him pour a mouthful of the horrible tasting brew, and swallowed obediently. It burned terribly, causing his eyes to water and a strong bout of coughing. 'At least', he thought, 'maybe they'll finish it off themselves.' 

Hyde was laughing again, "He really don't drink! I'll be damned! Hand me the bottle..." 

Winch calmly responded, "He ain't done yet." Again, Daniel felt the bottle shoved up to his lips. This time he turned his head away and swung at the bottle, knocking it to the floor, spilling some of the contents. "Bad move Doctor J! Is that any way to treat us who are showin you such hopsit... hosppil... a good time?" 

"I don't want it... it'll make me sick..." Daniel knew as soon as he spoke that it too was a bad move. Winch made a move toward him, and he figured now was as good a time as any to try to escape. As he ran for the door, he felt a flying tackle from behind, causing him to land with a loud thud on his stomach. At once, he felt cuffs being pressed around his wrists, and he was rolled onto his back. Winch sat grinning on his chest. The pressure was incredible, it was a struggle for each breath. Hyde grabbed hold of his hair, immobilizing his head. 

"Open up!" Winch commanded, as he forced the bottle into Daniel's mouth and began to pour the liquor down his throat. 

He had no choice but to drink, or never breathe again. After he'd gulped what must have been half the bottle, they left him alone. Daniel lay sputtering and coughing on the floor, noticing that his hands and face were beginning to feel numb. 'Stuff works fast', he thought. 

As they sat in the corner quietly talking, Daniel thought he could make out something about taking a little jog... and a mountain climb... He began to feel relaxed in spite of his intense fear. His mind began to wander to Abydos... that first mission... Ferretti, Kowalsky... they hadn't thought much of him either. Not that they were anything like these two, but the teasing was constant and the irritation over him being nonmilitary was clear on their faces in their words... Even Jack... He began to wonder about Jack once again and whether the threat of a bomb was real. He tried to think, but the alcohol was numbing his senses. The room seemed too hot. It began to twirl about, and he had the oddest sensation of floating... which threatened to become a feeling of seasickness at any moment. 

"Let's go Doctor J!" Hyde shook him and helped him to his feet. "I think some fresh air would do you some good... you're lookin a bit green! I ain't never seen no one drink that much scotch at once!" 

Daniel tried to walk straight, but found he was staggering heavily. He noticed the cuffs had been removed. The corridors seemed blurry, and passers by out of focus... their words garbled. He was aware enough to realize that they'd have to pass a security point in order to leave the building. This was his last chance to free himself before they took him God-knows-where. 

The guard at the exit relaxed as he recognized the two soldiers, "Hey guys... what's up? You got duty in less than an hour, and I'm not staying overtime!" 

"Relax Johnson!" Hyde answered smoothly. "Seems Doctor Jackson here had a few too many to drink. We're gonna see that he gets safely home, then we'll be back in... oh... no more than a half hour!" 

"Theesh guys are crazy!" Daniel began a drunken speech. "Angry at ... the Jack.. oh.. colonel... he was gonna get you... I was... I kinda screwed up... they haaaaaadd... there was whis... whisk...eeee... I dint wanna... help me!" Daniel realized the words had come out all wrong, and tried to grab hold of the sergeant on duty. 

"Gee, I've never seen him like this!" Johnson reacted. "You better get him home, and try to get some hot coffee into him or something. Everything's going to be alright, Doctor Jackson. You get some rest, and we won't even file a report, OK? I don't want you to get in trouble or anything." 

'That's nice of you, Johnson!" Winch remarked. "We certainly don't want any trouble for the doctor either!" 

The three made their way into the parking lot. Daniel could barely keep his feet. "I don't want him gettin sick in my car!" Hyde whined. "Let's put him in the trunk!" 

Daniel felt the handcuffs being put on once again, and then the sensation of being stuffed into a tiny space. The trunk was too small to allow him to fit, but they kept pressing down. He could feel the tire iron pressing painfully into his back. As he lifted his head to try asking them to reconsider... he noticed a small black box fall from Hyde's pocket and bounce unnoticed by the other men onto the ground. 'Jack's safe' he thought... at least Jack's safe. Then there was a loud slam and the trunk was forced closed. 

Fighting back the urge to vomit, he tried to clear his head. They drove for what seemed like a half-hour, might as well have been forever... when the engine stopped and the two men got out. Daniel could hear the doors close and the voices of the men fading away. He began to panic as he realized they were probably going to leave him there. There was no room to maneuver. He tried to lift his legs to kick at the trunk, but it was useless. 

Finally, the voices returned and the trunk was opened. Daniel was hauled out of the trunk, and allowed to stand. The world continued to spin and he promptly threw up ... directly into Hyde's trunk. "Oh, oh that's great! Just great! Who's gonna clean that up?" Hyde moaned. 

Winch looked at him, staring with disbelief, "You really are stupid, you know? You are worried about your car! We have just kidnapped this guy... do you hear me? Kidnapped this guy! We're either gonna have to come up with some story about what happened to him... or... we'll have to disappear like he will, and we won't be takin your run down old car with us!" 

'Disappear?' Daniel had heard the words but they barely registered. He was feeling slightly better, but the world continued to sway. 

Hyde seemed to ignore Winch's comments. Either he was too drunk himself, or really too stupid to understand where this night was leading. "Now the fun starts, right Ben? Now we take the geek for a run... huh?" 

As Hyde began to remove the cuffs, Daniel spun around and with a sudden strength, threw the man down onto the ground and pounced on top of him. Hyde reacted with a loud grunt, and the two began to wrestle for the upper hand. Using the chain of the cuffs still attached to one wrist, Daniel began to apply pressure to Hyde's throat... until he heard the soft click of a revolver behind him. He froze. Hyde pushed him off and stood up, choking. "D'ya think he'd a killed me?" Hyde asked. 

"Doctor J... I don't like you... I don't like the SGC... Hammond... Colonel Jerk especially, but the rest of em aren't here. Just you. Take off your boots, and your jacket! NOW!" Winch pointed the gun directly at Daniel, a deadly serious look in his eyes. 

Daniel swallowed and said a silent prayer. Slowly he began removing his boots. Whatever they had planned, he prayed he'd be able to survive it. 

Once again he was jerked to his feet, and he found himself being tied by a strong rope to the bumper of the car. The rope ran around his waist, and once again the cuffs held his arms firmly behind him. 

"Second lesson! Stamina! We're gonna take you for a little training run... and you better keep your feet or else we might not notice you've fallen down and you could maybe get dragged. That would be bad..." Hyde finished in mock sympathy. 

Daniel watched them get into the car. "Winch!" he called out. The man rolled down his window and looked back. "You can stop this now. Before anyone gets seriously hurt." Daniel's answer was a foot to the gas pedal and the car began to drag him to a jog. The stones in the mountain path cut into his feet and he tried desperately to remain upright. The pace was slow... manageable. At first. 

"Huh!" Hyde remarked, looking out the back of the car. "Who'da thought the guy could run like that! Course you're only goin about 3 miles an hour!" 

Winch slowly increased the speed...4...5...6 miles an hour. Daniel was having to go at a full run now, and after no sleep and half a bottle of scotch, he was about ready to collapse. His chest heaved and burned as he panted. The effort needed to bring his foot around for each required step, becoming increasingly painful... ever more impossible. 

Twenty minutes passed. "Well, he lasted longer than I thought he would. How long do you figure you can drag a guy like that?" Hyde casually commented, as he had noticed Daniel trip and fall awhile back. 

Winch slammed on the brakes, "I'm beginning not to like you either!" he growled at Hyde. "Go untie him... see if he's still alive... I need a drink!" 

Daniel was in fact alive. He'd been badly bruised and his skin rubbed raw in some places, cut in others. Somehow he'd managed not to hit his head. He lay there, on his stomach, motionless... it simply hurt too much to move any part of himself. 

Hyde approached him cautiously, flipping him onto his back with his foot. The resulting moan told him the man had survived the ordeal. He didn't bother to untie the injured man, he simply turned and left him. 

Hours passed. The two sat chatting by a fire, drinking again. They talked of where they'd go next, adventures they might have. Daniel lay in the dirt, the cold starting to penetrate his senses. He was slipping into a bit of a delirium, imagining that the two would simply leave him there and drive away. That some helpful soul would come along and rescue him. That there were times he was ashamed to be included under the label "human" race... if it included the likes of these... He noticed that he could see the woods fairly clearly. The moon had come up and the sky looked as if dawn would be short on its heels. 

His short reverie was broken by the sound of Hyde's voice, "Well, time for lesson three... and then... well... then we'll hafta leave the rest of your training to someone else. But it's been SUCH fun! C'mon - get up!" 

Daniel forced himself to stand, but felt very unsteady on his feet. His clothes were blood soaked, especially his socks. It hurt to be on his feet, and he could only imagine what lesson three might be. 

The length of rope was untied from the car bumper and Daniel was led into the woods. After about a half-mile of hiking, they emerged at the top of a steep cliff. The rock face dropped almost perpendicular to a heavily forested valley floor. "Looks to be at least a 600 foot drop if not more!" Winch estimated. 

"Doctor J! Come here! Look at this view!" Winch ordered. 

Daniel remained rooted where he was. 'Oh God, no! 600 feet! I can't!' His palms began to sweat, and his whole body trembled slightly. A dizzy sensation returned, and he knew it had nothing to do with his earlier ordeal. Heights... He hated heights. His whole body quivered uselessly at the thought. 

"I was gonna ask if you were a climber... then I remembered ... someone told me... you can't stand heights! No better time to face your fears than now, that's what I say!" Winch was smiling again. 

Daniel was paralyzed. He couldn't react as they tied some extra lengths of rope to him and began lowering him over the edge. He tried not to look down, and pressed himself against the rock face as tightly as he could... trying to avoid scraping his face. 

"How much rope we got?" Hyde called out. 

"I dunno... keep lettin him down until we run out. That's all. We'll watch what he does, tryin to climb up... should be funny... then we'll..." Winch didn't finish. 

"We'll what?" Hyde asked. 

"We'll put him out of his misery!" Winch finished. 

More rope was let down. Daniel knew he'd never be able to make such a climb. He tried to think of alternatives, but none came to mind. 

"Oh no!" Daniel heard Hyde scream. And then he squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he was falling and there was nothing he could do about it. He prayed one last time and readied himself for the end, as a ledge of rock suddenly appeared and slammed him to an abrupt halt. 

Winch watched with mild concern as the rope floated softly down, "What'd you do now, Jim?" 

"I thought I tied the two ropes together with a good knot... but... oh well... sorry about that... he must've slipped loose!" Hyde apologized. 

"Let's get outta here. Nothin's gone right tonight... I got a headache and I want some sleep," Winch finished. Then they were gone... and Daniel was alone \- suspended 300 feet above the valley floor and 300 feet below the mountaintop on a ledge about the size of a kitchen counter. 8am 

Jack was not at all surprised as he pulled into the parking lot and saw Daniel's car sitting just where he'd parked it the day before. "Bunk, pillow and a pot of coffee, huh? You need to get out more Doctor Jackson! No doubt you've made some astounding discovery during the night... which I will have to listen to... in great detail... all day..." Jack continued to mumble to himself. As he walked to the front gate, his foot kicked a small black box, thinking someone had dropped their pager, he picked it up and turned it around absently in his hand. 'Gives me another reason to visit security,' he thought. 

Greeting him at the security checkpoint was an extremely tired looking Sergeant Johnson, "Sir!" he said, snapping to attention. 

"At ease, Sergeant," O'Neill ordered. "Why are you still on duty?" 

"One of the new recruits was supposed to spell me... Jim Hyde I think. He never showed." 

"Sorry, that'd be my fault," the Colonel apologized. "I had him and Winch removed from duty." 

Johnson knew better than to ask why, but hoped it didn't have anything to do with Dr. Jackson, and his being drunk. 

On his way to central security, Jack crossed paths with General Hammond, "Good morning General!" 

"What's tickling your fancy, Colonel?" Hammond asked, surprised at O'Neill's cheer so early in the morning. 

"Sorry I didn't follow protocol, but I just had to have them thrown out last night. They didn't give the MPs any trouble, did they?" Jack asked with satisfaction. 

"Who?" the General asked with a blank stare. 

"Winch and Hyde! Who else got thrown out last night?" Jack asked with an irritated edge to his voice. 

"No notice came across my desk. Let's check this out together..." They continued walking to security as Jack explained the events of the prior day. 

************************************************* 

The sun had been up for nearly two hours now, but he hadn't dared to open his eyes to see it. He knew how high he was, and that knowledge paralyzed him with fear. His knee had taken the brunt of the landing and was badly bruised and bent at an odd angle. He'd explored the ledge by touch, briefly, determining it was about 3 feet wide and 10 feet long, and had a few scraggly bushes growing out of cracks in the rock. He ached as if he'd been punched all over - he guessed it was from the dragging. His head throbbed and he was intensely thirsty... so... this is a hangover! It had been hours, but Daniel still held on to the hope that his captors would try to rescue him, or at least send help... when they woke up... when they weren't drunk... they had to. 

9am 

The wind began to pick up slightly. Daniel's frustration grew. He'd never been in a situation where he didn't have any options... no plan... no conceivable way out. He had to try to climb - try something... Daniel forced his eyes open, and once again his palms began to sweat and the world tilted. He felt pulled down by unseen forces... grabbing at him, threatening to pull him off the ledge. His eyes reluctantly closed again, and a measure of safety returned. He drifted off to sleep, all the while trying to freeze his body in one position - pressed against the rock wall - away from the drop. 

10am 

It was determined that Daniel was in fact missing. The lights were on in his office, computer still running. No signs he ever slept in his bunk... no signs of him anywhere. It was as if he'd simply disappeared. Jack had tried calling his apartment, and was relieved at first to hear the familiar, "Hi!..." but as he began to speak, the answering machine message continued and he knew it wasn't Daniel. He began to replay the prior night in his mind, and thought of just how drunk the two soldiers had been. 'What was I thinking! Daniel probably went to talk to them himself... security never got a call. Still, why hadn't anyone seen him?' Jack fumed to himself and waited... it was all he could do. 

Security details circled the base, interviewing all they met. Jack sat by the phone waiting for Sam and Teal'c to report in. They'd gone to check out Daniel's apartment... just in case he'd had car trouble and found another way home. The Colonel had the phone answered almost before it rang, "Well?" 

"Sorry, sir," Sam began. "No sign of Daniel. We used his spare key and looked all around. Doesn't seem as if he's been here in awhile, or if he was, he left already this morning." 

"Are you certain?" 

"I too feel strongly that Daniel Jackson did not come home... he has not listened to the messages on his telephone machine... most uncharacteristic," Teal'c commented. 

"Come on back," Jack ordered. "We'll try something else." 

********************************************* 

He was climbing... the others pushing from behind... a nice day... a fun day... sunlight, children's laughter. He'd never dared to do this before... never... The slide seemed so high, and he was so small. Still, today... he believed he could do it! 

He began to slow as he reached the top rung - the little girl in front of him squealing with glee - already had reached the bottom... safely... always safely... 

His grip tightened on the cold steel bar at the top... yes! He'd made it to the top! Now he looked out over the playground, expecting to feel like the King of the Mountain, instead he felt a terror grip him, worse than his most awful nightmare... His stomach turned and popped, his hands grabbed tighter - knuckles turning white. He froze, wide-eyed, staring. Mommy was there, so small, calling to him. 

"It's OK Danny. Slide down! Come on, honey! You can do it!" 

The children behind him began to complain, he felt a slight shove at his back. 

"C'mon kid... get goin! This is no fun! What'sa matter with you?" 

He had never heard of anyone afraid of high places... what was wrong with him? 

"Danny? Want me to come up and help you?" 

The children began to laugh. His face turned bright red, as he snapped his eyes shut. "N..N..No!" he stammered his reply. He began to sway, but it seemed as if the slide itself were tipping and leaning. He would fall... he knew it... if he let go of the bar... he'd fall. 

He opened his eyes again, and the dizziness returned. He didn't know which way he was facing, he never remembered letting go... but the worst was happening... he was falling... falling... 

"Daniel!! Daniel!!!" 

He woke with a large start at the sound of his name, trembling and sweating, and dangerously close to the edge. It was a hawk calling out - seemingly calling his name, which had awakened him. 

11am 

Jack tried to focus on his work, reports from the last mission, dismissal orders for Hyde and Winch. Instead he sat nervously drumming a pencil, tapping his foot, hoping the door would open and a sheepish Dr. Jackson would peek in and tell him about yet another distraction that had taken him to... anywhere except the horrors that kept running through Jack's imagination. 

Suddenly, the door did open, but it was a very nervous Sergeant Johnson accompanied by Teal'c. "Sir! I had no idea Dr. Jackson was missing, or I would have. Oh, you have to know I was doing my job... and..." 

"What's this?" O'Neill barked. "You know something about Dr. Jackson's whereabouts? You've seen him? Full report... NOW Sergeant!" 

Johnson recounted Daniel's drunken behavior the prior night and how he'd left in the company of Hyde and Winch sometime between 3 and 4 am. "They said they'd take him home, and then return for duty - but they never came back!" 

"Dismissed, soldier! I'll deal with your punishment later!" Jack waved him out of his office. 

************************************************ 

A plan ... he needed a plan. Jack would tell him "Where there's a will, there's a..." did he say "way" or "or"? Didn't matter... Jack would tell him to keep trying, Daniel reflected. First, he'd try to get the handcuffs off. He'd already managed to bring them around to his front side with great effort \- and as he twisted and contorted his body to achieve this, he felt just how sore his knee was. He noted ruefully that it most likely wouldn't hold his weight. He tried everything. The cuffs wouldn't slide off his hands. He tried looping a link of the cuff chain over a piece of sharp rock and rubbing it, pulling on it. Who was he fooling? The rock wasn't going to cut the chain! 

12pm 

There had already been an APB put out on Hyde's car as well as the two men. There seemed nothing more to do. Jack went looking for Sam and found her in the records room, pouring over the last 12 hours of security camera videotapes. "Sir! I think I've found them, the tape from Elevator D, marked 2am." 

Jack watched the tape closely. Daniel clearly looked uncomfortable, though nothing was being said. He kept looking at Hyde's hand, Jack noted that he was holding the little beeper thing he'd picked up in the parking lot. He noted the elevator stopped on level 9. He took Sam and Teal'c and they went to check it out. 

******************************************************* 

He leaned back again, even more discouraged. The wind had increased a bit more, but the sun was still warm. Almost overhead, he said to himself... must be about noon. Close as he could figure, he'd been on the ledge 7 or 8 hours now. He knew for certain 'they' weren't coming back. Maybe they thought he was dead already. He began to imagine what it would feel like to die of thirst on that ledge... better to just jump off he decided. 

Voices began to speak to him from within. Strong, supportive voices... voices that had pulled him back from the brink time and time again. He could hear Sam's anguished voice as she cried at the foot of his bed - when he lay exhausted, ready to give up, within Machello's body. He was unable to respond to her as she implored him not to die on her. She had given him the strength and determination to fight back from the void of coma. Her voice was calling to him again. 

It began to blur and mingle with a strong, deep voice. A voice of authority, experience... a voice he allowed himself to trust even at the times when he couldn't trust himself. It was Jack, and he was holding onto him, pulling him back from the psychological brink of madness and withdrawal following his addiction to the effects of the sarcophagus. It was Jack telling him that he could get through this... now Jack was also telling him... he could get through this. 

He thought also of Teal'c, who many times offered a silent strength. His presence often was the only reassurance needed that they'd be able to overcome... that they would prevail. He had thought a great deal about Teal'c when he was being held captive on the dark side of Elosha's planet by the touched. The situation truly was hopeless, he was being slowly beaten to death - and nothing was working... there was no escape. He knew with certainty that Teal'c would come for him... that somehow they'd all come for him, and it kept his determination strong and his sanity intact. 

No, even as fear and discouragement threatened to crush him, he wouldn't give up... yet. He discovered he could keep his eyes open now, as long as he fixed his gaze at the distant horizon or above. Absolutely no looking down! A slight movement caught his eye to his right and just below. He dared to glance over. Squinting, he saw two small, tan, furry forms wrestling on a similar ledge. Kits, he thought, probably mountain lion kits. Cute. 

Then it occurred to him, if they were playing on that ledge, there had to be a cave behind them - and perhaps it led to a way off the rock face! But how to get over there? He looked at the length of rope still tied about his waist - seemed long enough. He tugged hard on one of the bushes. It seemed anchored firmly, but would it hold his weight long enough for him to... to do what? Swing along the rock and repel over to the other ledge? Oh, sure! He'd just hang there, eyes shut, swinging in fear until the rope gave way or he managed to pull himself back to where he was to begin with. 

1pm 

Jack had returned to his office, joined by Teal'c and Sam. They'd found one slightly trashed storage room, with an empty bottle of scotch. Fingerprints matched those of Winch and Hyde, but none from Daniel. They did find Daniel's glasses, tossed aside on the floor. The evidence was circumstantial at best, but it was enough to convince Jack that Daniel had been taken against his will and forced to get drunk. He knew better than to hope that those two were intending only to have fun with the scientist. He slammed his fist down onto his desk and began to run his fingers through is hair in frustration. 

"The police will find the car. Daniel will be with them... you'll see," Sam offered in encouragement. 

Teal'c remained puzzled by the entire set of events, "Why would these men have tried to hurt Daniel Jackson? Could he have done something to provoke such an attack?" 

"No!" Jack snapped back at him. "I did all the provoking!" then he resumed his nervous pacing. 

2pm 

God, he was thirsty! He looked down at his feet, trying to remember when he'd put on crimson socks. Stupid, he chastised himself, realizing his feet were caked in dried blood. He hadn't noticed how sore and bruised they were; the pain from his swelling knee had overwhelmed everything else. The kits continued to play, at ease on the mountainside, oblivious to the danger of falling. There was no sign of their mother. Daniel eyed the heavens with a worried glance. The wind was whipping now and the sky was beginning to darken. Looked like bad weather was on the way, and a distant clap of thunder confirmed it. 

He made up his mind that he would act, now. He fastened the rope around several of the bushes and an outcropping of rock, slid to the edge of the rock shelf, and allowed his legs to dangle. His heart raced and palpitations shook his chest. A loud clap of thunder sounded as if to mark the start of a race, and propelled him to jump. He swung freely for a few dizzying seconds, then made contact with the wall. His manacled hands were scraping against the rock. For now at least, the rope was holding. He was almost even with the other ledge now but about 20 feet to the right of it. He began to work his toes along the rock, trying to grab handholds with his fingers. Finally, he achieved a sort of rhythm and began to swing pendulum-like left to right. A few more feet to the left and he'd be able to grab the ledge. 

The thunder grew louder still, and the first large drops of rain began to fall. His feet made contact with the ledge and he grabbed hold of a bump of rock just above, and froze there. He pictured himself from below, standing on one leg, at the very edge of a small outjutting of stone, 300 feet in the air. His hands began to shake and he became lightheaded. He was about to pass out! "God! Not now!" he shouted. Another clap of thunder, and he summoned the courage to throw himself sideways. He lay panting on the new ledge... staring into a large cave! No discovery he'd ever made in his lifetime could match how wondrous this find was! He removed the rope from around his waist and crawled off the ledge into the cave, painfully dragging his leg that refused to cooperate. 

He sat far back in the darkness, watching the rain pelt down and the winds tear about. Torrents of water poured down the rock face from above. 'Flash flood... if I'd still been on the other ledge...' he didn't allow himself to finish the thought. There was no sign of the kits. 

******************************************************* 

Jack's phone rang again. The police had found Hyde's car, 30 miles away. Both men were sleeping within and did not resist arrest; in fact they still seemed quite drunk. They'd be delivered to base within the hour. As the Colonel relayed this information to Teal'c and Sam, he allowed himself to feel a bit of hope. Even though Daniel wasn't with them, he'd have a chance to question them and get some idea where to start looking. "A couple more things, Colonel," the policeman's voice echoed through the phone, "They did have guns in the car, and a set of handcuff keys - but no handcuffs. One of them also has what appears to be blood on his boot - although they aren't saying anything right now." 

The hope began to fade completely away, as Jack pictured Daniel in cuffs, being used as target practice by those lunatics. "Bring them in as quickly as you can, Officer. Good work." Jack responded as he hung up the phone. He turned to the rest of his team ordering, "Get a forensics team ready, we'll need to analyze some blood. Set up a few search teams as well. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night, and an even longer one for Daniel." 

3pm 

Jack sat behind the one way mirror watching as the fruitless interrogation plodded on. Hammond had personally requested that he stay back, let the MPs do it... that he was too close... too involved. It was going nowhere. 

"Tell us again what happened after you left the security check point with Doctor Jackson last night." 

"That geeky friend of the Colonel's? We told you, he joined us for a drink or two. Who could've known that the man can't hold his liquor? We offered him a ride home... hey, we were being nice to him!" 

"Yeah! He started to come with us, and changed his mind I guess cuz when we got to our car... he'd wandered off. Never saw him again!" 

"We drove around awhile and fell asleep in our car. Any crime in that?" 

"We found a length of rope tied to the bumper of your car... care to tell us why that was there?" 

There was no response from the two men. 

"Your trunk contained vomit, Mr. Hyde. Are you in the habit of throwing up into the trunk of your own car?" 

Again, only silence. 

Jack stood up in fury, no longer able to contain himself, and stormed into the interrogation room, "YOU PUT HIM IN THE TRUNK? You drive a compact toy of a car! What did you do with him, Hyde?" Jack had the man by the collar now, and he was shaking. 

Winch smiled and leaned back in his chair. This was exactly how he hoped the Colonel would react. He thought of how it would get much better when Colonel Jerk found out the geek was dead. But he wasn't going to find out from him or Hyde... as far as they knew, the guy just disappeared! 

"Colonel O'Neill, we understand how much it means to you to locate Dr. Jackson, but we're going to have to ask you to leave. This is a matter for the military police, and you can resume watching from the other room or leave entirely. We'll let you know as soon as we find out anything useful!" 

Jack reluctantly withdrew and took up his post behind the mirror. 

"As to the blood on your boot, Mr. Hyde..." 

"Oh, that'd probably be Dr. Jackson's... he... he tripped and fell, and I helped him up - that's all." 

"You helped him up with your boot?" 

No answer. 

"Back to the matter of the trunk,..." 

Yes, Jack thought, it was going to be a long night, and he wondered where his friend was and how he was faring. 

4pm 

The cave was cold, and as he began to shiver his muscles rebelled in stiffness and pain. It was now that he became aware that he'd kept them taut for most of the last 12 hours. Fatigue overtook him, along with relief and the sense of peace from having overcome the demon of heights. He let sleep take him, the only sleep he'd had - other than the brief nightmare - in over 34 hours. 

8pm 

Jack sat in the commissary, moving lumps of food in circles on his plate. Teal'c reminded him why he'd insisted they come, "O'Neill, you must have sufficient nourishment to continue functioning throughout the night." Jack noticed the Jaffa's plate was already clean. 

"I know, I should eat... I can't seem to do much of anything until we get some word on Daniel... something... anything!" Jack threw his fork down and continued to brood. 

Sam hurried into the room, locating them easily, "Colonel? Tests on the blood confirm a match with Daniel! They also figured out that little black box was some kind of remote activation device. The MPs ran a bomb check of the SGC - complete with explosives sniffing dogs - and they discovered this..." She held up a crude bomb about the size of a can of soup. 

"Where?" Jack asked with interest. 

"Your gym bag, sir!" Sam informed him. 

It didn't take long for O'Neill to put the picture together, "That explains why Daniel went along with them... he was protecting me! Of all the hare-brained, not thought out plans! He's got dumb luck... that's what it is. It gets him into trouble, but at the same time, makes things turn out - somehow - right!" 

"Kinda like bitter lemons into lemonade, hmmm?" Sam asked. Jack looked at her not understanding what that had to do with anything, and she added, "Just something my Mom used to say that I had a knack for doing... forget it. There is one other thing you're not going to like very much. The lie detector tests confirm that the two are telling the truth when they say they don't know where Daniel is. Seems they were so drunk, they have no idea where they went... exactly." 

"I'm sure they remember *something* we can use! Well, we've got Hyde for possession of a bomb and enough circumstantial evidence of kidnapping to put him away for a long time. I think I need to pay the man a visit - and see just how certain he is that he can't remember anything," Jack told her with a dark tone to his voice. 

"I would be more than happy to assist you with this questioning," Teal'c offered. 

Sam watched them leave nervously hoping the Colonel could keep a lid on his mounting anger. 

***************************************** 

As the storm raged on, Daniel dreamed, his mind too weary to face the reality of another situation gone bad. Since losing Sha're, dreams had once again become a source of comfort and escape in his life - as they had been when he was young. The bone chilling cold of the subterranean cavern faded away in Sha're's warm embrace. 

"Dan'yel... the cooking fire dies and the tent grows cold... come lay with me! Leave your work for tomorrow - there is always tomorrow... enjoy the night with me now," Sha're called to him, pulling him from his diaries... his translations. 

He joined her in a tumble of woven blankets. Grabbing hold of her, he pulled her close - losing himself in the fragrance of her hair. She laughed at the expression on his face. "What?" he asked, not knowing whether to be embarrassed or flattered at her laughter. "It's not polite to laugh at your husband," he chided - and proceeded to tickle her - producing more rounds of pure enjoyment. 

"You always have that 'look' when you look at me!" Sha're tried to explain. 

"Look? What look?" Daniel was clueless. 

She smiled again, radiantly - eyes sparkling, "You seem to be under my spell, my husband. You are hopelessly lovestruck!" 

"Oh no! It's hopeless alright!" he playfully called out. "Save me from all these wicked charms!" 

She silenced him with her finger and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was passionate, expressing a depth of emotion far removed from playfulness. He responded with touches designed to pleasure her fully. How he loved her... loved their life together... it was simple yet satisfied him completely. It offered him hope, promise, security. He determined this kiss would never end and pulled her on top of him - enjoying the feel of her body as it moved in unison with his.. the warmth... 

Daniel was smiling. He had stopped shivering, choosing to exist instead in a different place and time. He felt Sha're's hand stroke his leg and move slowly up his back. Then, all too soon, his eyes snapped open and the dream was gone. He tried to will it to come back, closing his eyes... remembering. It would not return. He lay there in the cold darkness trying to figure out just where he was, when the sensation of someone stroking his back returned. He froze... it was more like something moving along his back, "Oh God..." he breathlessly exclaimed as realization dawned, "please don't let it be poisonous..." 

The large rattler had been drawn to the heat of Daniel's body as he slept, and now it seemed to sense his fear. It slowly coiled itself along his back and up around his neck, pausing to raise it's tail and rattle softly... a warning. 

Rattlesnake... OK... keep calm, the archeologist told himself. He was no stranger to snakes of all varieties; they were commonplace on digs. But this was different... The darkness made it impossible to tell where the snake was. He fought back the impulse to jump up and move away - knowing at the slightest movement, the snake was likely to strike, and it didn't need light to strike with deadly accuracy. Despite the cold, he found himself drenched in sweat as the snake began to move again - back inside his shirt - this time slithering down his stomach. The sensation brought goosebumps out all over his skin and he began to shiver once more. 

Over and over he told himself he could do this, forcing himself to lie completely still, when a sudden thunderclap caused him to jerk uncontrollably. The snake rattled and hissed loudly, as Daniel tried in one motion to rip off his shirt and roll away. A sharp pain shot through is right forearm, then he made contact with the wall of the cave. He lay there a moment, holding his breath - listening. Nothing. Yet the thing could still be next to him... how could he tell? His arm was starting to ache and burn now... had he been bitten or had he cut his arm on the rough cave floor? The cuffs were still firmly in place, and now were covered by his T-shirt, making it impossible for him to use his hands. He could feel a trickling of blood down his arm. 'If it is a snakebite, the venom has to be sucked out,' he thought. Raising his arm awkwardly to his mouth, he bit down hard around the wound, alternately sucking and spitting out the blood that spewed out. The arm continued to burn and his fingers tingled, 'must be a bite.' Exhausted and weak, he sat leaning against the cave wall, making sure to keep his arm raised above the level of his heart, that way any remaining venom wouldn't circulate as easily. He had no idea what time it was... but he knew it was definitely time to find a way out of that cave. 

He brought his uninjured leg up under himself and, with great effort, pushed his way to a standing position, still leaning on the wall. The cave opening was wide enough, at least at this point for him to stand fully erect. A brief test of the other leg, and he was certain it couldn't bear any weight. He attempted one-footed hopping, but with each jarring motion the pain in his knee made him cry out. He was no longer pleased about surviving the cliff... this was pure agony. 

10pm 

"Do you think I could at least have something to eat or drink?" Hyde asked a very unsympathetic Colonel O'Neill. 

"Sure! Noooo problem! Tell us what we want to know and you can have anything you'd like!" Jack answered, staring the man down. 

Hyde swallowed and glanced nervously from the unreadable face of the massive Jaffa on one side to the determined and anger-filled face of the Colonel on the other. "I told you already..." 

Jack interrupted with a loud bellow, "I DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU TOLD US ALREADY!!! Where is he Hyde? What really happened last night? You answer me now, or - things might just... happen. Who knows? Teal'c and I might just... misplace YOU!" 

"We were plenty mad..., Winch and me, you know that, um, sir! But it all started as a joke... really! I was gonna blow up your gym bag when you were nowhere near it... just to see the look on your face! I never wanted to hurt anyone!" Hyde scrambled to find convincing words, as O'Neill let him know he wasn't buying any of it. "And when we ran into Jackson, and we were drunk and everything... the idea just came to us to give him a little trouble... cuz it seemed the best way to get to you..." He stopped and stared at the Colonel. 

Jack knew at least that part of the story was probably true. Whatever he'd managed to do for Daniel, good or bad, in the short time they'd been together... Jack was now thoroughly convinced that it would have been far better if he'd just dug in his heels a bit harder and never allowed Daniel to come along on that first mission to Abydos. In fact, he should have gone alone. What the hell difference would it have made if he couldn't find a way back... he was supposed to plant the nuke and end it all right there... 

Hyde's trembling voice brought him back to the present. "I remember we offered him a little drink, and ... uhh... a ride in my car. Well, a ride in the trunk of the car. I wasn't gonna have him gettin sick inside my car!" 

"C'mon Hyde, just tell me what happened. Don't try to convince me you had any good reasons for doing what you did... just facts, OK?" Jack demanded, growing more fearful inside of what he was about to learn of Daniel's ordeal. He turned to Teal'c, "Could you get the guy some water? He looks like he's gonna pass out." 

"We drove... Colonel I honestly can't tell you where we drove. Winch was drivin and I was too worried about my car... well, and the doctor, of course! After awhile we stopped and pulled him out. That's when he... you know... in my trunk!" 

"You had him handcuffed?" Jack further interrogated. 

"Yeah. He tried to get away, but Winch stopped him. Then we ..." he stopped and took a long drink. "We tied him to the bumper of the car and drove for awhile... just to see how good he could run. He runs good, well - considerin he didn't have on any shoes or anything..." 

"You made him take off his boots?" Jack had a sickening feeling in his stomach. 

"That was Winch's idea. He's kinda strange, you know? Anyway, he done good for awhile, and then got dragged for awhile... but he was still doin pretty good. We let him rest a bit then and had some more to drink." 

Jack was clenching his fists and fighting back the urge to slam the scum against the wall and pound him senseless. He'd wait, he still needed to know what happened to Daniel. 

"Winch started to say things about doin the guy in... puttin him out of his misery... stuff like that. But, I never wanted to do anything like that... it was all an accident, you gotta believe me!!" Hyde looked at O'Neill with a pleading sincerity. 

The words were ringing in Jack's ears, 'it was all an accident.' "Are you telling me Daniel's dead? What happened? Did Winch shoot him?" 

"Yeah!...No!... Let me finish... this ain't easy ya know! We walked some and came to a really high cliff. Man, looked like it was bottomless! We lowered the guy over the edge to see if he could climb up... pretty funny, huh? With cuffs, no shoes, half-drunk and afraid of heights? We were just gonna make him try for awhile, then pull him back up... That's all... Really! Well, I didn't tie the knots too good and he fell." 

"WHAT?" Jack exploded. "You dropped him off the side of a cliff and then drove off and went to sleep! And I'm supposed to say that's just an ACCIDENT!!!" He composed himself a minute and asked the question he most feared the answer to, "Did you see where he landed? A body? Are you sure he's dead?" Jack thought about the many lives that kid had... against all odds. 

"Colonel O'Neill, we couldn't see anything, but no one could survive a fall from that cliff. I'm sorry, sir. I really am. I've been tryin and tryin... but I just can't remember where we were. I know you folks would want to recover the body... I really messed up this time!" Hyde buried his face in his hands. 

Jack had lost all desire to pound the guy, in fact all emotion drained out of him. He wasn't eager about starting a search for Daniel's body in the middle of the night, it could wait until tomorrow. That is, if he could trust what Hyde had just told him. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. 'Are you out there somewhere, by some miracle still alive?' he wondered. 'No. Miracles are for kids and those few remaining believers... not me... not tonight.' Jack left the cell and began to wander without purpose down the hallway, wishing desperately he could have the prior night to live over again. 

11pm 

Hours. It had to have been hours, and he continued to limp slowly, painfully toward the back of the cave making very poor progress. It had become more like a tunnel, and he needed to bend considerably to fit. Each time he tentatively advanced his foot forward, he expected it to come in contact with the snake, and with only tattered socks on his feet - that was a most unwelcome prospect. He also hoped one of the bends in the tunnel didn't open into a mountain lion's den... still there were no audible sounds - except his own breathing with an occasional curse and the steady drip of rainwater filtering in. 

Despite trying to elevate his arm, it had swollen painfully. His right wrist had doubled in size, causing the handcuff to constrict his hand, and he could no longer move those fingers. He grew more lightheaded - which could have been the venom, or the lack of water... most likely a combination of the two - Daniel reasoned. He tried to ignore the slight tremors that coursed through his body, "When is this cave ever going to end?!" he called out to the darkness. 

In obliging response, the tunnel opened up into a large, round "room." As Daniel felt his way along the walls, it seemed a dead end. There were no other openings, save the one he'd come through. "Impossible!" he continued to think out loud. "The kits got in here somehow. There has to be another way out, or else I missed another opening in the tunnel." Daniel slid himself to the floor once again, and gave his beleaguered knee some rest. As he did so, he felt a stirring of sweet smelling air brush his face and when he listened carefully, he could hear night forest sounds in the distance. 'There is an opening to the outside here... somewhere. It must be a bit farther off the ground.' His energy was completely sapped now, and snakes or no snakes, he simply had to rest. He closed his eyes, but it was hard to block out the throbbing of both his knee and his arm. 'In the morning,' he vowed, 'first thing in the morning and I'll get myself out of here and back home.' Sleep mercifully took him, as home might as well have been an entire world away. 

2am 

They hadn't planned it that way - it just seemed the only place to be that night. Each arrived on their own, surprised - and yet not - to see the others gathered silently in Daniel's office. The room breathed of him, containing parts of all that he was. Artifacts, diaries, ancient texts, off-world finds, computers, artwork... and on his much-cluttered desk was a picture frame, as most husbands would dutifully have. Daniel's contained a rough pencil sketch of a smiling woman in long robes. It was signed in child-like scrawl... "To my dearest Daniel, Skaara drew this picture of me, so you will be able to see me whenever you wish. Love, Sha're" The frame was well marked with fingerprints, it had been held often. 

Sam broke the silence; "We've been down this road before with Daniel. We know that we still need to hold onto hope." 

"Ya," Jack answered, half-heartedly. "It doesn't get any easier, ya know? In fact, it gets a lot harder. This could be the time his luck runs out... and it definitely should be ME out there - not him..." 

"Daniel Jackson is strong, and his instincts are good. He will find a way to survive," Teal'c offered encouragingly. 

Sam shook her head regretfully; "I can't stop picturing Daniel's face when he crossed the beam in Thor's hall, and then when the beam shook. I can just imagine how he felt hanging over the edge of a mountain... and then falling! Whoever took those guys into SGC ought to have their heads examined!" Sam referred to Winch and Hyde. 

"Just like the guy, who figured Daniel could do MP duty," Jack mumbled under his breath. "OK folks! Three hours of shut eye, maximum! Then we take Mr. Hyde for a drive and try to find where Daniel... where Daniel is." 

"Do we move out even if the weather hasn't cleared?" Sam asked. 

"Bad weather?" Jack asked not realizing. 

"Yes, sir. Some local flooding, washouts... bad thunderstorms..." 

"Damn," Jack stated softly, and headed for his quarters. 

6am 

His first sensation was sunlight! A slender shaft came streaming down through the hole in the ceiling - illuminating his sleeping quarters. The next thing he felt was a tickling of his feet. Looking at them, he saw the lion kits licking and sniffing his feet inquisitively. They behaved so much as large kittens, he had no fear of them, but as he shifted to sit up, they yelped in surprise and dashed off. 

As his mind cleared, he became aware that the entire right side of his body was pretty much useless to him. His arm had swollen even more and he caught a glimpse of the knee through his shredded pant leg - it too was swollen and horribly discolored. He looked up at the "chimney" he must climb. It began about 6 feet off the floor and sloped upward at about a 60 degree angle until it reached the surface. It would be a tight fit, but he supposed he could make it, that is until he actually tried to move. Pain shot throughout his body like a thousand stabbing knives. He caught his breath and sat back. Definitely NOT a piece of cake! 

Slowly he stood, noting bumps on the rock wall on which he was able to put his good foot and step up closer to the opening. He then reached up with his cuffed hands and began to pull himself into the chimney. He wedged his body inside and began ever so slowly to climb. He was able to move only fractions of an inch at a time, the pain in his knee thrumming incessantly. It would take him a long time to reach the top, but he knew he could do it... he had no other choice if he were to survive. 

******************************************** 

The search parties started out in four cars, all radio-linked to Colonel O'Neill. The lead car contained O'Neill, Sergeant Johnson and Hyde. Sam and Teal'c were next, followed by other security details. Picking a direction with certainty from the parking lot, they headed up into the mountains. When they came to the first split in the road that Hyde was unsure of, Jack motioned for one of the cars to go off in the direction opposite from him. Finally, as the other 3 cars had taken different directions, all looking for the mysterious cliff - Hyde's face brightened, "This is the right way! I'm sure of it... we came this way and parked over there... Check the bushes... bet you find some empty bottles!" 

Johnson checked the bushes and sure enough came up with some empties. Hyde pointed out the direction he thought they walked through the woods to get to the cliff. He was wrong... after 45 minutes of hiking they saw nothing, so they back tracked. Picking another direction, they set out again... and this time they did find a cliff. What a cliff it was! Jack let out a low whistle - it was breathtakingly beautiful. He leaned over the edge and saw a drop that could only mean one thing for his teammate. In his mind, this had now turned into a recovery mission... no more search and rescue... 

Taking out his field glasses, he searched the rock face below him carefully for any signs. A good distance below, something caught his eye... there - on a ledge - was a length of rope unmistakably tied to some bushes. He quickly radioed to the others, and told them of his location, as he strapped himself into a climbing harness. He also sent one of the cars to a position at the base of the cliff... where he supposed they would actually find the body. 

Hyde sat transfixed, staring out over the valley mumbling something that sounded like a prayer - or maybe he was asking Daniel for forgiveness, Jack couldn't be sure. "Lower me down!" O'Neill ordered to Johnson, and he began the slow trek down the mountain face, trying not to imagine what Daniel had endured there just one day before. He reached the ledge quickly with the expert precision of a well-trained soldier, and pulled up the rope effortlessly as it just dangled freely in the breeze. There were bloodstains on the rope and he saw that it was the same kind as was tied to Hyde's car. 

He sank down on the ledge and held the rope close to his chest, recording carefully in his mind all the details of the place that would forever mark the passing of his good friend. Had he ever called him friend? Probably not... probably just left it an assumed thing. He took a deep breath and shook his head. This was it then. He really was too late. An ache began to burn inside of him and he screamed out, "Damn it Daniel! I tried! You hear me? For God's sake... I tried..." 

The winds whistled in reply and a hawk called out. Johnson began yelling from above, "You OK sir? Need any help?" 

"Nope!" the Colonel yelled back. "Pull me back up! He's... he's not here..." 

9am 

The chimney narrowed until Daniel felt his chest start to wedge in place. He was so near the top now, his arms could almost reach outside! The opening was teasing him - both offering sure hope of escape yet being a bit too small. The kits had returned to the chamber below him, and became very agitated that the sunlight was blocked out and this stranger filled their only means of escape. They began to howl and cry ... calling up to him. As their cries drifted upward, Daniel thought he saw a large shadow pass over the opening to the outside. 

Then, he heard it - a low, menacing growl, deep in the throat, ordering him to back off - to clear the way to her kits, the mother cat had returned! He found himself completely unable to move - up or down, and saw his chances fade as he knew the only way she'd get to those babies of hers was by going straight through him. As she stuck her fury-filled head into the hole and bared her teeth, he was certain she'd try to do just that! He grew faint and frozen in place, like a mouse under a cat's spell. 

She reached in with her paw and a powerful stroke raked her claws across his shoulder and upper back. The sudden pain and terrible sense of panic caused him to scream loudly, frightening the kits even more and they too cried out. Snarling in frustration, the lioness prepared to climb on top of him. Daniel tried his best to turn his face away from her, and cringed - steeling himself for the sensation of being ripped apart. 

Instead, there was a loud explosion, and the cat was gone. Daniel let his breath slowly out and waited, listening. 

"Hey! You in there! You one of those crazy climbers from the city? You get on the bad side of one of those kitties and you don't last long! You can come out! I chased 'er off!" a deep, gruff voice boomed out. 

"I... I can't... I'm stuck in here... and I'm hurt..." Daniel managed to respond, but speaking was an effort. Everything was difficult. Soon it would all be over, he kept telling himself. 

A large head full of wild-flying hair and an overgrown beard cautiously peered in at Daniel, "How in the blazes did you get in there, son? If you raise your arms up to me, I might could pull you out... you hurt bad?" 

Daniel answered, feeling much weaker now - rescue had come and he didn't have to be so strong anymore, "Ya... I'm hurt pretty bad. Thanks.. I... I owe you... name's Daniel..." 

"Some folks call me Roc... most just never come near me... I'm that old coot who's run off to live in the mountains. Ha! They call ME crazy? Just look at the rest of this world! C'mon, give me your hands... easy now..." 

As Daniel raised his hands up, Roc caught sight of the handcuffs and narrowed his eyes. He hesitated, "You in some kind of trouble, boy?" his voice taking on a suspicious twinge. 

Daniel had lost the strength to respond and used all his effort to keep his hands lifted above his head. "Those are marked U.S. Military... where'd you come from again?" Getting no response, Roc began to pull Daniel out, but kept his shotgun by his side... just in case. The mountain man cursed as he saw Daniel's battered body slowly revealed. Soft groans came from the young man's lips at each movement, until finally he was free. 

He lay on the ground a minute, then turned thankfully to his liberator, "Water..." he choked out, "I really need some water... please?" 

The man rubbed his beard as if trying to decide what to do. He backed off a bit and returned with an old canteen. He held it above Daniel and allowed it to drop painfully onto his stomach. Daniel squinted upward, a confused look on his face. 

"Go ahead - have a drink... then I gotta figure out what to do with you... I heard the police bulletin on the radio when I was down to the store yesterday. They were lookin for two armed and dangerous men... you an escapee?" 

Daniel didn't mean to laugh, but the absurdity of the whole situation hit him suddenly and he burst out in laughter. The grizzled man read this as a sure sign of guilt and disrespect, and he quickly grabbed the canteen back. "If you want a drink, you gotta behave better'n that! I might live up here, alone, but I'm a loyal citizen! I'll be gettin you to the police right away!" 

Daniel quickly realized his mistake and began to explain, "No! I'm not a criminal! Those guys took me... please... I really need a drink..." He tried gingerly to sit up, but received a boot to his clawed shoulder, as Roc forced him to lie back down. 

"The police'll sort all this out... but I got instincts about people, just like I do about animals... and I think you're in a heap of trouble, boy, and if you don't behave - you ain't gonna make it off this mountain! C'mon - get up and shut up! We're goin to my cabin!" He pointed the shotgun at Daniel. 

"You've got this all wrong..." Daniel tried to explain, but his words were cut off as Roc hauled him painfully to his feet. Unable to stand, he immediately collapsed. 

"Dammit BOY! You want me to drag ya?" 

"No!" Daniel's voice hitched and he found himself whimpering... "No.. no.. no..." 

Roc looked more closely at the man's injuries, "You must have put up one helluva fight!" Deciding he really couldn't walk, he proceeded to hog tie Daniel's legs and hands with some rope he'd slung over his shoulder. Then he stuffed a dirty rag in Daniel's mouth, "That's so you can't call out to your buddy. You stay here... I'll be back with my horse! Don't even think about trying to get away!" And he was gone. 

12pm 

The search of the base of the cliff had turned up nothing. No sign of Daniel. No signs of a body being dragged by wild animals. Absolutely nothing. All eyes were on Colonel O'Neill now, "What do we do next, sir?" Johnson asked. 

"O'Neill, it might be of no significance, but while we were searching I distinctly heard shouting and the sound of gun fire," Teal'c commented. 

"What could that possibly have to do with Daniel?" Sam asked. 

"Nearby?" The Colonel questioned further. 

"It was sufficiently close that we could reach the location within the hour," Teal'c answered. 

"Let's check it out. If someone's in trouble, maybe we can do some good today," Jack stated, as they began to search. 

**************************************** 

Daniel lay there, trying to figure out how the guy could have made such a mistake - while at the same time picturing in his mind just how bad he must look. Why couldn't he think straight? Why wasn't he hurting more? The rest of the world seemed far away, and he felt detached somehow from his body. Even the thirst faded away... he felt peaceful. Yes! What he'd felt before... he was certain of it now... Soon... very soon... it would all be over. 

He was done with it all. The unbelievable insanity of intergalactic war... trips through light years of space... enemies... friends... love... pain... it was all over. He had tried his best, but events had conspired to destroy him... he blamed no one. Not his abductors, not this recluse, certainly not the creatures that had treated him so unkindly... no one. He felt his heart struggling to pump a blood volume that had drained far too low. He wondered why it tried so hard to keep going on... it didn't realize that it was finally over... but he did. 

His only regret as he allowed himself to drift into eternity, was not being able to say goodbye. Then he closed his eyes for the last time and left this world behind. 

5pm 

Roc couldn't remember just where he'd left the man, and cursed his forgetfulness. He made his way into town, told the police his story and then faded back into the woods. The police were at first confused about what to do with this information, but someone decided to call the SGC. The message at last made it out to the field, to Colonel O'Neill's radio, "Yes, that's precisely it sir. A man in cuffs, badly hurt, matching Dr. Jackson's description, and that would be about six hours ago." 

Jack turned off the radio and stood ashen faced for a moment. They were just about to call off the search, having located neither the source of the shouts and gunfire nor any more signs of Daniel. Calls were made for more search teams, as they had maybe two good hours of light left. Jack and Teal'c began another sweep of the area. He had to be nearby... they'd missed him somehow. 

7pm 

Darkness was beginning to fall. No one spoke. Everyone reported in for the last time, when it seemed as if in some kind of twisted justice - Hyde claimed to have seen a glint of metal at the base of a hill - near a large rock. "It was shiny! It showed up in my flashlight beam!" Hyde offered hopefully. 

"Probably another beer can," Jack despaired, but he headed down the hill anyway - ordering everyone else to their cars. He stopped short as his flashlight played across the figure of a man lying motionless on the ground. 

"Oh God! Daniel!" he cried out and ran to his friend's side. "I NEED MEDICS HERE! PEOPLE I FOUND HIM... ON THE DOUBLE!!" 

Daniel was gently placed on a stretcher and whisked into the back of Jack's jeep. Jack drove like a man possessed, to the hospital. Sam had felt a thready pulse at one point, but due to dehydration hadn't been able to get it back. She kept up CPR now.. hoping... praying. They delivered him into the hands of the assembled trauma staff and sat numbly down on the waiting room chairs. 

12am 

The first reports of his condition filtered in... severe trauma to his knee, repaired in surgery. Extensive loss of blood volume, replaced by transfusions. Snakebite - well tended by Daniel himself, and the swelling was beginning to subside. Many cuts, abrasions and contusions ranging from claw marks, to wrists rubbed raw from the cuffs. These were bandaged and would heal. From all indications, he should have regained consciousness after the anesthesia wore off... but he wasn't. There didn't seem to be any head injury, although they weren't ruling it out. His condition wasn't typical for coma. The doctors were mystified. 

************************************* 

Voices had been calling his name for hours. Why did they bother him so? Didn't they know he was gone? Someone should tell them it was all over. The decision had been made. He'd let go, there was simply no coming back now. 

Blackness returned. 

3am 

Happy to be able to finally see him, Jack sat at Daniel's side, gently holding his hand, saying nothing. After a while, he cleared his throat and began talking softly, hoping somehow he'd be heard, "The doctors say you should be awake... talking to me... giving me a hard time... I'm not going to let you just go away like this you know... you wouldn't let me! What can I say? I'm a stubborn old ... " his voice trailed off. There was no response. Jack waited... the clock ticked away what might be the last few hours they would have together. "Daniel? We need you back... I need you... You are giving me a hard time after all! What do you want to hear me say? You're my friend... perhaps the closest one I'll ever allow myself to have." 

Daniel heard... he heard it all. The great emotion in Jack's voice, the call back to life. Daniel willed his weighted eyelids to open and looked over at his friend, no words would come. He managed to squeeze Jack's hand and slight smile curved his lips. 

"Yes!" Jack exhaled in recognition of the victory he'd achieved. "Welcome back, my friend!"   


* * *

>   
> © 1998 The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp.  
> The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters  
> who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names,   
> titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television,   
> Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.   
> Partnership.  
> This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and   
> solely meant for entertainment.   
> All other characters, the story idea and the story itself   
> are the sole property of the author.   
> 


End file.
